The motion, proposed by Labour MP Grahame Morris, stated: “This house believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution.”

Mr Miliband and other Labour frontbenchers voted in favour, while both Lib Dem and Conservative ministers were obliged to abstain, as is the convention with a backbench motions.

Conservative MP Mike Freer, whose Finchley and Golders Green constituency is home to a large Jewish community, quit his junior ministerial post so he could vote against the motion.

Of the other 11 MPs who voted against, six were Conservatives and five were Northern Irish MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party.

Sir Alan Beith was the only Liberal Democrat to vote against the motion. The party’s policy is to support the recognition of Palestine as a state and 28 Lib Dems voted in favour of the motion.

The motion is not binding on the government.

What is Britain’s position on the Palestinian territories?

Britain does not recognise Palestinian as a sovereign state.

The government says it will only do so when the Israelis and Palestinians negotiate the end of the Israeli occupation through the Quartet peace process.

In 2011 the then-foreign secretary, William Hague, said: “The UK judges that the Palestinian Authority largely fulfils criteria for UN membership, including statehood as far as the reality of the situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories allows, but its ability to function effectively as a state would be impeded by that situation.”

He added: “We reserve the right to recognise a Palestinian state bilaterally at a moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace.”

In 2011, along with more than a dozen European countries, the UK decided to upgrade the status of Palestinian diplomats.

In the same year, Britain abstained when the United Nations voted on upgrading Palestine’s status from “observer entity” to “non-member observer state”.

Some 138 countries voted in favour of the upgrade. Britain was among 41 nations that abstained, including Germany and the Netherlands. But most EU states voted for the resolution and it was carried.

Only nine countries voted against it, including Israel, the United States, Canada and Israel’s closest ally in the EU – the Czech Republic.

Some commentators saw the status upgrade as de facto UN recognition of Palestine’s sovereignty.

But Palestine is still not a full member of the UN. That would require a recommendation by the Security Council, which would probably be vetoed by the US.

Which other countries recognise Palestine?

Some 133 of the UN’s 193 member states have individually recognised Palestine as a state.

That represents 69 per cent of members and covers almost exactly 80 per cent of the population of the world at time of writing.

Of those, 17 countries explicitly say that they recognise a Palestinian state with the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War. In other words, they back Palestinian claims to the whole of the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem.

If the politicians read the Hamas treaty which contains total destruktion of Israel as the Jewish State given by Lord Balfour in 1918 the world understand why Israel defends their land. We have enough of dictators who ruin our world with their aggressive policy like Hamad and Isis. Will the politicians ever understand that it is more important to feed starving African children than meddling with dictators who are destructive and ready to destroy what is for the best.

But you don’t just “defend your land”, you invade their land; taking it to make illegal settlements. I’m not saying that they are right to want to destroy Israel but using that as an excuse to destroy Palestine is a little hypocritical.
Also talking of the starving children there are many fairly close to that point in Gaza because Palestinians are being forced into smaller and smaller areas of land (Gaza is now the most densely populated place on the planet) which Israel then blockade limiting their access to essentials like food and building supplies.

Israel has been stealing more and more land from the west bank every year and building illegal settlements. It really is time the world did something about it. The west were quick to start sanctions against Russia for doing the same, but they have let Israel get away with it for years.

You made no mention of international law and specifically the ruling of the International Court of Justice or UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478 concerning the illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. There are over 150 UN Resolutions plus the ruling of the International Court of Justice in the Hague with respect to the 421 mile illegal “wall” which the EU and UN both condemned.

Likud reject the right of Palestine to exist and reject the international status of Jerusalem (as per UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478).

What about the charters of Nafatali Bennett’s Home Party? This gentleman is part of the coalition that supports Mr Netanyahu.

Members of the Knesset advocated sustained massacres against the Palestine people – inflammatory comments by Ayelet Shaked are brought to mind. We should not forget – Moshe Feiglin, the deputy speaker of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, who had published a plan for the total destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Baruck Goldstein who had sprayed Palestinian people with his automatic Galil rifle in the Palestinian city of Hebron. Goldstein is revered by settlers.

The British promised the Arabs the same to get the Arabs to fight on their side then changed their mind after the war ended. The Jews did nothing to get it. Quite the opposite they were terrorists before 1948 when miraculously they became the IDF.

A tsunami of ignorance and prejudice prevailed at the vote on Monday with its shameful result. There is no appetite on the part of the PA or its terrorist masters to live in peace with Israel. They want to wipe it out ” From the river to the sea!” As for Israel it yearns for peace – Shalom – and a two State solution with every heartbeat. We Jews say ” To Life” …”L’Chaim” . We do not glorify death and murder.
I hope all those Monday voters listened to the breathtakingly refreshing interview on Channel 4 News tonight ( bless them!) with Mosab Hassan Yousef arguing the case for Israel. Now there is a man with a fascinating legacy whom I would love to see address the House of Commons!

Mogens Cateley – The Balfour Treaty has long, long been described as one of the most idiotic and short-sighted Treaties ever put together and signed. It was an utter disgrace – and since then, Israeli so called ‘Chosen People’ have expanded and stolen the whole territories of Palestine, stage by stage over the 96 years since – meanwhile building the World’s 3rd biggest Nuclear Arsenal of well over 100 Nuclear Missiles (for what purpose? – And who has funded such a frightening scenario of such destruction in the hands of such ultra right-wing zealots?) – A clue…other right-wing AIPAC Republicans in the U.S. for one.

Israel has slaughtered thousands upon thousands of Palestinians over the decades. The deaths of innocent children, women, entire families means nothing to them. To have seen Jewish teenagers dancing and laughing in their (stolen) streets during the recent conflict, when they had heard of ‘successful bombing missions’ and more Palestinian deaths was sickening.

It is also high time they gave up their ‘Holocaust Victimhood’ to also further their cries of “We are the persecuted people” – They are simply using this for carrying out their own acts of genocide, time after time against people who have been bombed into submission.

If you are going to post on a blog, Mogens Cateley – do it with some research, learn to spell, and also how to construct a readable paragraph.
‘Hamad’ – as you call them, are ‘Hamas’ – and are a democratically elected entity in what is left of Palestine / The Gaza Strip.
And this Factcheck blog is about who recognises Palestine – ISIS is a different issue.

To John – who does not even have the grit and the integrity to leave his full name! Perhaps you are truly a man of goodwill and just blinded by the peripheral vision of a person who cannot look at nor has researched the issues in a balanced and honest way. You have clearly no grasp of ancient history, modern history and true ( as opposed to false reports) of current events concerning Israel and her neighbours. I suggest you start with the Bible – Old Testament, then move on to Israel A History. by Martin Gilbert.From there Alan Dershowvitz The Case for Israel. Those sources of information will give you insight, education and assist you in putting the case for the palestinians with more credibility instead of using the emotive issue of the Shoah most inappropriately and scorning someone for a spelliing mistake! If you really want to get an informed viewpoint see if you can watch last night’s Channel 4 news inverview on catch up with MOSAB HASSAN YOUSEF, the son of the Hamas chief. Better still I suggest you visit Israel and speak to the many non Jews who live there who will tell you that they would rather live there than any surrounding ( non-democratic) neighbouring country. You are a victim of chronic palestinain propaganda which ironically does not help the palestinian cause in real terms. Real terms = a sincere and lasting peace with Israel which is what that country yearns for. I hope this reply – which is sincere and not meant to be provoking or patronising – gives you positive food for thought.

China invades Tibet, slaughters hundreds ( thousands perhaps, who knows ?) and Channel 4 devotes no time nor space – same as Russia/ Chechnya , Sudan / South Sudan, Nigeria/ Cameroon, etc. etc.
If only Channel 4 devoted as much time to other countries more deserving of the Palestinians we might have a more intelligent debate about this subject. From a personal perspective I sincerely hope there is no peace between Israel and the Palestinians whilst the homophobic, xenophobic Hamas have any political clout. After all according to their charter , once they have liquidated the Jews, Christians are next – oh and gays and mentally and physically disabled similarly – oh let’s not forget all other religions – e.g. Sikhs ( infidels according to Hamas ). Such is the Palestinian contempt for such religions that they stupidly believe they will automatically convert to their brand of Islam without even a fight.
I am truly bored with the pro Palestinian brigade which let’s face it is just a cloak for good old fashioned anti Semitism to conceal cowards as all anti- semites are. It comes from the left wing of politics – those with the intelligence of a retarded amoebae . Where were these pro Palestinians when Shia militias slaughtered thousands of them in Iraq or when the Syrian army ran amok in the Yaam’alouk refugee camps. Why no outburst from Channel 4 or the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign then , nor from any Guardian journalists, Muslim groups in our Universities., George Galloway – no protests? I wonder why.
Anyway as long as Hamas exists, the settlements will continue, the Palestinians become weaker, Israel gets stronger and Sunni and Shia continue their indiscriminate butchery . If Hamas were liquidated the region has a decent chance of mutual, peaceful co -existence .